2007 Year in Review

Pomegranate

The cliché that everyone gets 15 minutes of fame finally applies to pomegranates, said a University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator.

"I remember eating them in grammar school, savoring the juicy red seeds, while classmates wondered what in the world I was eating and brave souls ventured a taste," said Jennifer Schultz Nelson. "Pomegranates have been cultivated and consumed for thousands of years in the Mediterranean, Middle East, and Asia.

"Currently, pomegranates are gaining much attention in the West partly because research has shown the juice is high in antioxidants, which have been shown to have a wide variety of health-promoting effects."

Despite the recent surge in popularity, pomegranates are truly an ancient fruit. Pomegranates grow on trees native to Iran and the Himalayas in northern India. Cultivation spread westward to the Mediterranean, where much fruit production continues today.

"These unique fruits are mentioned in Egyptian mythology, the Old Testament in the Bible, and the Babylonian Talmud," said Schultz Nelson. "Ancient Egyptians considered the pomegranate a symbol of fertility."

As pomegranate trees do not set fruit well in humid conditions, cultivation has been limited to the hot, dry parts of the world, such as the Mediterranean, Middle East, Africa, Asia, and the East Indies. Spanish settlers brought pomegranate trees to California in 1769. Today, pomegranates are grown in drier parts of both California and Arizona.

The pomegranate's Latin name, Punica granatum, comes from its French name, pomme grenate, meaning "seedy apple." "This is a very appropriate name, considering that the pomegranate fruit is approximately 52 percent seeds by weight," she noted. "This is desirable though because around each seed is sweet pulp and juice held by a membrane. Under a pomegranate's reddish, leathery skin there is a very tough spongy membrane known as "rag," separating clusters of seeds into compartments within the fruit.

"The individual, membrane-enclosed seeds may be eaten out-of-hand, or they may be pressed for juice extraction. A common use for pomegranate juice is in grenadine, often used in mixed drinks. Pomegranate juice is also becoming a common fixture in the produce section on its own or mixed with other fruit juices."

Growing pomegranates is a lesson in patience. Blooms that appear on the tree may be either self- or cross-pollinated. After pollination, it may take anywhere from five to seven months for fruits to mature.

"With proper cool and dry conditions, pomegranates will remain fresh in storage up to seven months," she said. "This is comparable to the storage life of apples under similar conditions.

"The 'season' for pomegranates is October through January, but given their long storage life, they may be found in stores well past January."

by  Editor, theCity1.com
December 7, 2007